Читать книгу Wedding Belles - Beth Albright - Страница 11

6

I made my way down to the dock, perspiration rolling down my chest. Women in the Deep South don’t sweat. We perspire. But let me tell you, we perspire a lot. One hundred and two degrees, with one hundred percent humidity—that’s the Deep South in August.

The cement walkway stopped just short of the barge, leading me onto a rocky path bathed in red dirt. Sonny and Bonita were hunkered down on the deck of the tugboat that was pushing the barge.

“Hey, Blake, glad you could get here. I heard you have some information regarding the Aaron case,” said Bonita, the gorgeous, plus-sized, African-American spitfire Sonny hired last spring. She had a degree in Criminal Justice from Tuskegee Institute where her parents were both professors. She was smart and highly opinionated and I knew from the start I liked her style.

She looked amazing in a cream-colored suit trimmed in black and big, dangly earrings. No one else would dress like this searching for evidence except Bonita. But she’s a former pageant winner herself, and it was just her style. Her makeup was done to perfection, and not melting like mine was, even in this unbearable heat. Note to self: find out how she does it.

“Yes, I just saw the Aarons. They are the sweetest people. They just want to get to the bottom of this.”

I glanced up at Sonny. He was looking at me with a silent grin in his eyes. Hiding our feelings was always more difficult in person.

“Well, the Aarons may have to wait a little longer to settle this case,” Bonita said. “We still have a lot of investigating to do.”

“Can I come aboard? I’ll tell you about the new little wrinkle in this case.”

I joined them on the tugboat, but had to stay well back from the cordoned-off area. Once there, I related the Aarons’ refusal to believe Walter was suicidal. That in fact, he had sounded happy when they spoke to him and was contemplating marrying a girl he’d recently met.

Sonny’s gaze narrowed. “Did they say when they talked to him?”

“Shortly before his death.”

“Well, this certainly complicates things,” Bonita said, hands on her ample hips. “We’re going to have to interview the Aarons again. Do they know anything about the woman?”

“No,” I said, “but we have another meeting coming up and they’re gonna bring whatever they find after going through Walter’s effects.”

“Bonita and I are going to be in on that little search,” Sonny added.

“Why? Did you find something?”

“Can’t go into specifics.”

As we walked toward the front end of the boat, I saw the crime scene tape.

I looked around nervously. A tugboat pushed a barge up the river. That much I knew. Was that where they thought Walter fell off, in between the boat and the barge?

I stopped, staring at the area where the two boats hitched together.

I took in the gouges in the wood and the scrapes and scratches in the paint, which didn’t look to me as though they’d come from the normal tug and push of the equipment. Dark spots dribbled down the side. My heart sank.

“Do you see something?” Sonny asked, already knowing I did, although he hadn’t shown me anything.

“It looks like there was a struggle of some sort in this area,” I said haltingly, noting exactly how far along the front and side of the boat the crime scene tape extended. “A big struggle, like somebody didn’t want to go overboard, but maybe someone else had a different idea.”

Bonita just stared at me, remaining silent.

I turned to Sonny. “The coroner’s report said there was bruising on Walter’s forearms and shoulders.”

Sonny looked grim, but unsurprised. He’d obviously seen that report long before me.

“What do I tell the Aaron family, Sonny?” I asked. “I need to update them so they know why the barge company won’t settle.”

“Sorry, Blake. This investigation is ongoing,” Sonny said. “We’ll need to talk to the Aarons again and go through all of Walter’s effects ourselves. I’ll call his siblings when I leave here and set up a time.”

“Who do you think did this? The new wife?” I asked. “Walter’s been working here for over ten years and was apparently well liked.”

Bonita raised her eyebrows and shot Sonny a meaningful glance. “Looks like we got us a tugboat captain to talk to again. That story doesn’t quite mesh with my notes about Walter’s last day.”

“The poor Aarons,” I said. “They’ll be so upset.”

“Well, the poor Aarons better not leave town,” Bonita added. “I suspect everybody until proven not guilty.”

This time, my eyebrows raised at the investigative team in front of me. “Okay, then.” It was definitely time for a subject change—they were clearly in business mode, and I didn’t want to be defending my clients to either of them right now. “You coming by Vivi’s for dinner tomorrow night after the station’s dedication ceremony, Bonita?”

“Yes, ma’am, I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

“Why don’t you come, too, Sonny? It’s gonna be great. Arthur and Vivi are cooking together.” I smiled at him.

“I’ll walk you back to your car,” Sonny offered. “You can give me the details.”

“I’m gonna stay here and take a few more pictures. I’ll see you up there in the parking lot in a few minutes,” Bonita said, then walked back toward the front of the boat with her camera.

Sonny and I headed back up the hill. Once out of view, he slipped his arm around my waist. “What else is going on, Blake? You said you were having quite a day. Anything I can help you with?”

I told him all about Lewis and the Tressa Mae situation. And how Vivi was just coming undone over the whole thing.

“Well, it shouldn’t be too hard to track her down,” Sonny said. “Sounds like you have a good start.”

“Yes, Vivi and I found someone that matches her name in Birmingham. I’m gonna try to get up there by the end of the week,” I said as we reached my car.

“I’ll help, if you need me,” he said. He bent closer.

I knew he wanted to kiss me, but we were in public, and I was still the senatorial candidate’s wife. I wished I had never agreed to play that role. I hated all this secrecy.

“Will you be at the big ground breaking tomorrow?” I asked. “I’ll be there to support Vivi and Lewis.”

Lewis was holding a media day at the Brooks Mansion, a huge, historic landmark in the center of town where he’d set up his new radio station, and it seemed everyone was going. The restoration of the mansion was starting so the station would be ready for the big Crimson Tide kickoff game the first weekend in September.

“I’ll be there for sure.” Sonny grinned at me. “I’m not gonna pass up a chance to be with you, for no matter how short a time.”

“And of course there’s tonight,” I teased, reminding Sonny of our plans later.

“I wish you could just spend the night every night,” he said.

I gave him a wink. “See you later, Officer.” I opened my car door, then slid in over the warm leather seats. I slipped my legs in, brushing my bare skin against his pants. He inhaled sharply, and I peered up at him and smiled my best bad-girl smile.

He laughed, shook his head and shut my door. I was perspiring again, but the heat I was feeling had nothing to do with the hot summer’s day. The plan to spend the night at Sonny’s excited us both.

I was trying desperately to hang on to whatever tiny part of the good girl that was left in me, but the bad girl was winning the battle, and I was slowly but surely losing all control of her.